Bohemian Rhapsody and the boys of Queen

RA: Shallow; Roger Taylor x reader x oc male

*Author's note*

Okay first of all CONGRATS TO "SHALLOW" for Winning Best Original song at the Oscars. All the other choices were well deserved and amazing. Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga did an AMAZING job with this song. Now I was worried due to the feud that went on between BoRhap and A Star is born on tumblr no one would like this chapter but after hearing this song nonstop I just HAD TO DO THIS!!! So Please NO HATE. Also I went ahead and added a bit of true history in regards to Roger Taylor when he went on a solo career but I'll explain in the last chapter why it never ended up going anywhere at least for the sake of this story. Now I hope you all enjoy this chapter and listen to the song as you read this chapter when it comes up to it. Also apologies for the shortness of it, I promise the next part will be longer.

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*July 20th, 1983*

It was yet another concert. The crowd, the lights and everything a Rockstar craves for. I smiled and I said into the microphone.

"Thank you Kansas, now this next song I wrote with a very special friend of mine. And you all will be the very first people to ever hear this song. Now I would like to welcome to the stage; you all know him as the drummer from Queen." With that the entire crowd screamed hysterically. I smiled as I cried out, "Please give a warm Kansas welcome to Mr. Roger Taylor!"

The crowd went nuts as Roger came out from backstage holding an acoustic guitar. I smiled gratefully at him, remembering back to when I had asked him to do this song with me.

It was about a month ago, Roger was doing some of his solo stuff when he came over by my flat one day just to catch up and that's when I told him of a song that I had in mind that I wanted to do for my upcoming show in Kansas City, Kansas.

I told him that I wanted this song to be a pure duet, no backup vocals just two people singing this song with raw passion and I asked if he was willing to help me out. Without question, he agreed and together the two of us got to work on how this song should go. As we worked on the song in my studio he approached me at one moment and said.

"Alright (y/n) I have a question for you, of course you don't have to answer it. I feel like you don't answer anything though but I—"

"What Rog?" I asked stopping his rambling.

"This song wouldn't happen to be about you and Jack would it?" he asked me. I stopped the track and my fingers paused from the controls.

"What are you getting on?"

"Nothing I just—it feels like a love song and lately you and Jack have been getting pretty close."

"It's not a love song!" I snapped.

"Really?" He takes the sheets of paper and continues, "'Tell me something boy?' 'Tell me something girl?' 'Crash through the surface where they can't hurt us?'"

"It's a metaphor Roger!" I tried to reason.

"First of all that's my line and second I'm not judging love. You seem a lot happier with Jack than you did with that tosser Adam."

"Oh I don't know—you think?"

"Yeah. Look, I know that I haven't been easy on the kid but now I'm starting to see the impact he's made on you. Your eyes glow after hanging out with him, your smile actually reaches the corner of your eyes." I looked down bashfully and I said as I tried to brush off my blush.

"Well it's still not a love song." Roger said not another word but kept smirking softly at me as we kept working on the song. Tightening up any lose rifts, making sure the lyrics were just right, until finally the song was perfect.

Now back to the current time frame, Roger came up to me and we both hugged each other and he tuned up the guitar before finally playing the chords and then finally singing.

I knew I wanted Roger's voice specifically because he has this rawness that some country singers have so I thought Kansas would love to hear his voice along with mine for this specific song.

*Roger*

Tell me somethin', girl
Are you happy in this modern world?
Or do you need more?
Is there somethin' else you're searchin' for?

I'm falling
In all the good times I find myself
Longin' for change
And in the bad times I fear myself

Roger played the instrumental break and then I picked up the song. At the chorus, I raised my voice with such passion as the crowd cheered for me before the two of us did the duet, sharing the same microphone and occasionally smiling at each other as we sang the duet.

*Me*

Tell me something, boy
Aren't you tired tryin' to fill that void?
Or do you need more?
Ain't it hard keeping it so hardcore?

I'm falling
In all the good times I find myself
Longing for change
And in the bad times I fear myself

I'm off the deep end, watch as I dive in
I'll never meet the ground
Crash through the surface, where they can't hurt us
We're far from the shallow now

*Both*

In the shallow, shallow
In the shallow, shallow
In the shallow, shallow
We're far from the shallow now

As the song picked up with the electric guitar as well as some other accompaniment, Roger handed me the guitar and I began playing as he raced up and began playing the drums. The crowd continued screaming and cheering as the song continued on and as I vocalized before continuing to sing.

*Me*

Oh, oh, oh, oh
Whoah!

I'm off the deep end, watch as I dive in
I'll never meet the ground
Crash through the surface, where they can't hurt us
We're far from the shallow now

*Both*

In the shallow, shallow
In the shallow, shallow
In the shallow, shallow
We're far from the shallow now

Once the last note was played the crowd cheered and I smiled as I gestured toward Roger who stood up and took a bow. He also directed towards me and applauded for me before he raced off stage.

By the end of the concert after a few more songs, I ran off the stage with all my helpers coming over to me handing me towels and water bottles telling me what a great concert I gave out. At that moment Roger came over to me and picked me up in a hug and spun me around.

"Oh love you were great out there!"

"So were you, thank you so much for recording the song with me."

"I'm happy I could help you love,"

"(Y/n)!" We both turned around and we saw Jack running towards us. Roger grinned down at me and shoved me forward a bit before stepping aside but still keeping a watchful eye. "You were amazing out there."

"You think?"

"Yeah, everyone was going crazy. And is that really the first time you ever performed that song what is it called? Shallow?"

"Yeah Jack I just—thought I'd give you Kansas folk a song you all could enjoy. Do you think the other southern states will like it?"

"Even if they don't Kansas will always love it, how did you come up with a song like that?" he asked. My heart skipped a couple of beats and I heard Roger cough something out and I sent a glare at him telling him to fuck off.

"Oh it was just—on a whim. I'm really glad you decided to come to this concert Jack."

"Me too." He said with a soft smile.

Ohh if only he knew, maybe if Adam didn't fuck our relationship, then maybe one day I could confess to Jack telling him that this song was truly about us. With me being the Rockstar and him the modern boy and the two of us hoping to escape the deep end of fame and be in the shallows so that a relationship can truly blossom between us.